Help! Is This My Body?

Has this ever happened to you? You're dressing for a date and when you pull on your favorite jeans, you can no longer button them. Or you're running down the football field when you notice that your legs rub together in a way they never did before. Maybe when you look in the mirror it seems like your pores are taking over your face.

If you've ever felt out of step with your body, you're not alone.

Growing Up and Out (or Not)

Most of us are prepared to deal with the obvious physical changes of growing up. Girls expect their breasts to grow and guys expect to become more muscular. But the body often goes through other changes before, during, and after puberty — and sometimes these changes can be very different from the ones we expect to happen. For example, both girls and guys may notice themselves growing in unfamiliar places, such as the butt or belly. Or they may grow taller and skinnier.

Some people get a temporary layer of fat to prepare the body for a growth spurt. Others fill out permanently. Some people eat healthy foods and work out but still gain weight. Others chow down on everything in sight and still stay skinny.

Eventually it all balances out and most people adjust to how their "new" body moves and works. But it can take some getting used to. What happens to people physically during puberty can influence how they feel about their bodies and themselves for a long time to come.

Take Nikki, for example. She was an accomplished dancer with her heart set on following her mother's career in ballet. But at 13, Nikki grew several inches taller and developed the kind of figure most girls long for — unless they're dancers. Nikki's friends envied her curves, but Nikki felt heavy and awkward. Now 19, Nikki says it took her longer to get over the false perception of herself as a fat girl than it did to let go of her dreams of being a dancer.

Adjusting to a New Body

We become more aware of looks right around the time our bodies begin changing. This can make physical changes difficult to deal with emotionally.

Adjusting to a changing body is about more than just looks, though. Lots of teens base their self-image on how their bodies feel and perform. Until a year ago, Wes, 15, was a lean, fast sprinter who could always be relied on to win the race for his track team. Wes has ADHD, and some days it seemed like running was the only thing he could do well. So when he started developing a stockier, more muscular physique and his sprint times got longer, Wes' confidence took a serious bruising.

Changes in our bodies' appearance, performance — even such minor details as the way they smell — are all perfectly normal parts of growing up. So what can you do to help yourself adjust physically and emotionally? Here are some ideas.

Beware — don't compare! It's natural to look at our friends for comparison. But it's not a good idea. Comparing ourselves with others is problematic because everyone develops differently and at different times. If you go through a growth spurt early, you may feel too tall. Yet your friend may be thinking that he or she is too small. It's usually hardest for the people who develop first or last.

It's also a bad idea to compare ourselves with celebrities and models. In reality, most people don't look like the limited body types shown in the media. (Actually, the models often don't look like that either: Many of those "perfect" bodies got that way through photo editing, not nature.) Ads sell fantasy, not reality.

Treat your body well. Making educated choices about food and exercise is part of developing a mind and life of your own. Healthy eating and exercise can also give you some control over how your body turns out. Plus, exercise is a mood booster. If your changing body has you feeling sad or confused, it may help to go for a walk, play with your dog, or throw a Frisbee with your friends.

About three quarters of all teens quit sports around the time their bodies develop. Often it's because the changes in their bodies influence which sports they compete in. Although you can still do any activity if you really are interested in it, some people prefer to switch to another activity. Wes put his strength and running skills to use playing football. And Nikki was able to combine her great figure with her love of dance when she discovered belly dancing in college.

Sometimes people quit playing organized sports in high school because schoolwork becomes more demanding, or because they have a more active social life that fills their time. Now is definitely not the time to stop exercising completely, though. Use this time of change to explore how your body feels doing different activities. Taking yoga, martial arts classes, or other activities that involve focusing on how the body stretches and moves can help you become familiar with your body.

Befriend your bod. Feeling like you don't know your body anymore? Just like a friendship that grows and evolves, keeping in touch with our bodies takes time. Like friends, our bodies can let us down at times. But with a little work and understanding, it's possible to bounce back.

Just like we know our friends' secrets, we know stuff about our own bodies that other people don't. For example, you may think your stomach sticks out because you spend hours focusing on it in the mirror. But the truth is, other people won't notice it like you do.

Walk tall — even if you're not! What people do notice is how you project your feelings about yourself. If you think you're too tall, it will be more noticeable if you slump over and try to look smaller. If you're self-conscious about your pimples, hiding behind your hair may cover the zit on your cheek — but you'll look awkward and uncomfortable.

As your body changes, it can help to work on good posture and walk with a sense of confidence. After doing this for a while, you'll probably become more confident too.

There's not much you can do about your height or development, but you can focus on the things that you really like about yourself. Maybe it's your curly hair or the dimple you get when you smile. Maybe it's that you are a really thoughtful person or you are good at making people laugh. Ultimately, when you think of the people in your life that you care about the most, what they look like probably has very little to do with how much you like them.

More Curves Ahead

Just as you get used to your new shape, it will probably change again. The later teens and early twenties are (yet again) a time when the body and mind take another step in maturing and changing. For both girls and guys, this means filling out a little more so that they look more like adults and less like teens.

This is another time when it's important to summon the powers of exercise and healthy eating: You've probably heard of the "freshman 15," when girls and guys go off to college and most are in charge of feeding themselves for the first time. Many people who are on their own for the first time start by eating anything they want — usually junk food and high-fat snacks. Of course, most of them gain weight because they spend more time sitting and studying and less time being active. If you've already started focusing on what you eat and how you exercise, this will be less likely to happen to you.

If our bodies had owners' manuals, they'd tell us to keep them clean, provide them with fuel, and offer them some stimulating activity. But our bodies are human, too, and they do best when they're loved.

Learning to accept and appreciate ourselves helps build resilience. People who are resilient are better able to deal with problems and bounce back from disappointment than people who are not. Resilient people usually make good decisions and choices. Accept and appreciate your body, no matter what it looks like right now, and — just like a good friend — it can do a lot for you in return!

How to Perform a Breast Self-Examination

Breast development is usually a sign that a girl is entering puberty. Most girls' breasts start to develop before their first periods. During puberty, every girl's breasts go through regular changes. As you grow and develop, you may notice small lumps and other changes in your breasts, and during your period, you may find your breasts are sensitive and tender. Most of these developments are totally normal. Getting into the habit of examining your breasts when you're still in your teens can help you get used to your normal breast changes. When you become familiar with how they feel, it will be easier to recognize anything unusual.

Why Do I Need Breast Exams?

If you go for an annual checkup with a doctor, he or she will likely examine your breasts to evaluate your development and ensure that all changes are normal. Your doctor may recommend that you get into the practice of examining your breasts yourself — called a breast self-examination (BSE) — and can show you how to do this.

A BSE can help women detect cysts or other benign (noncancerous) breast problems between checkups. It can also help some women detect breast cancer — a disease that's extremely rare among teens. It's easy to perform a breast self-examination, and it only takes a few minutes. Although it might seem strange or inconvenient at first, BSE is a skill you can use throughout your life to ensure good breast health.

How Do I Examine My Breasts?

It's a good idea to examine your breasts once a month, and it makes sense to choose the same time each month because breasts usually change with the menstrual cycle. The best time to do a BSE is about a week after your period starts.

There are two parts to a BSE:

• how your breasts look
• how they feel

The looking part is easy. Before you put on a bra, stand or sit in front of a mirror with your arms relaxed at your sides. Look at your breasts carefully. Do you see anything unusual, like a change in the way your nipples look? Any dimples or changes in the skin?

Then look at yourself from different angles and arm positions. Keep your hands at your sides, raise your arms overhead, place your hands firmly on your hips (to tighten your chest wall muscles), and bend forward. Watch for dimples or changes in the skin. Everyone's breasts look different. Get to know what yours look like.

The next part is how your breasts feel. It may seem strange at first to handle your breasts. Some girls feel self-conscious about it, but there's no reason to feel guilty or awkward. BSE is a positive way to stay healthy.

Some girls feel it's easiest to do the feeling part of the BSE in the shower — not only is it convenient, but the soap and water can also help your hands move easily over your breasts. Examine your breasts one at a time. If you're starting with your right breast, raise your right arm, place your right hand behind your head, and use your left hand to feel your breast.

One way to examine your breast is to think of your breast as a circle. Using the pads of your three middle fingers, move your fingers in a spiral motion from the outside to the inside of the circle, gradually getting closer to the nipple. Notice what feels normal and what may feel different from the last time you examined your breasts.

Use different levels of pressure — light, medium, and firm — to feel each part of your breast. This will allow you to feel the various layers of tissue in the breast. Start with light pressure, increase to medium pressure, and finish with firm pressure to feel the deepest tissue. When you have covered the entire breast, use your finger and thumb to gently squeeze your nipple, watching for any discharge. Then put your left arm behind your head and check your left breast the same way.

You can also examine your breasts as you lie on your back on your bed. Use the same method described above, raising one arm and using the other hand to check your breast in a spiral motion. While you're doing the exam, it's a good idea not to take your hand off your breast so you don't miss a spot. You should also check your armpits for any lumps. Girls who have large breasts should also feel their breasts from the side, while lying on one side and then the other.

As you feel your breasts, you may notice lumps or bumps. This is usually normal — just like so many things about people, breasts are unique. Some girls' breasts are large, some are small; some are symmetrical, others are not. Some healthy breasts feel really bumpy, whereas others are less so. Most teens have healthy breasts no matter what they look or feel like. But if you're worried about the way your breasts look or feel, let your doctor know.

Warning Signs

If you feel an unusual lump in your breast, don't panic — breast cancer is extremely rare in teens. In fact, among teen girls, the most common type of breast lump is usually related to normal breast growth and development. Other common conditions can cause a breast lump, such as a noncancerous growth known as a fibroadenoma, and small, fluid-filled cysts that tend to vary in size with a girl's menstrual cycle and are called fibrocystic breast changes.

Fibrocystic breast changes are common. In fact more than half of all women have them. They're related to the normal cycling of hormones associated with menstruation. Fibrocystic breast changes are typically worse just before and at the start of a girl's period.

If you feel a lump in your breast, talk to your doctor to see if the cause is one of these common conditions. If you have fibrocystic breast changes or other breast problems that may make it difficult to perform a good BSE, your doctor can help.

Infections can also cause breast lumps, as can an injury to the breast.

If you have any of these problems, you should talk to your doctor:

• pain in your breast that seems unrelated to your period
• a new lump, bump, or other change in your breast
• a red, hot, or swollen breast
• fluid or bloody discharge from your nipple
• a lump in your armpit

The goal of a BSE is for you to get used to the way your breasts feel. The better you know your body, the healthier you can be!

Hepatitis B (HBV)

What Is It?

Hepatitis (pronounced: hep-uh-tie-tiss) is a disease of the liver. It is usually caused by a virus, although it can also be caused by long-term overuse of alcohol or other toxins (poisons).

Although there are several different types of hepatitis, hepatitis B is a type that can move from one person to another through blood and other bodily fluids. It can be transmitted through sexual intercourse and through needles — such as those shared by intravenous drug or steroid users who have the virus, or tattoo needles that haven't been properly sterilized. A pregnant woman can also pass hepatitis B to her unborn baby. You cannot catch hepatitis B from an object, such as a toilet seat.

What Are the Symptoms?

Someone with hepatitis B may have symptoms similar to those caused by other viral infections, such as the flu — for example, tiredness, nausea, loss of appetite, mild fever, and vomiting — as well as abdominal pain or pain underneath the right ribcage where the liver is.

Hepatitis B can also cause jaundice, which is a yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes, and may cause the urine to appear brownish.

How Long Until Symptoms Appear?

Someone who has been exposed to hepatitis B may have symptoms 1 to 4 months later. Some people with hepatitis B don't notice symptoms until they become quite severe. Some have few or no symptoms, but even someone who doesn't notice any symptoms can still transmit the disease to others. Some people carry the virus in their bodies and are contagious for the rest of their lives.

What Can Happen?

Hepatitis B can be very dangerous to a person's health, leading to liver damage and an increased risk of liver cancer. Of babies born to women who have the hepatitis B virus, 90% will have the virus unless they receive a special immune injection and the first dose of hepatitis B vaccine at birth.

How Is It Prevented?

Because hepatitis B can easily be transmitted through blood and most body fluids, it can be prevented by:

• abstaining from sex (not having oral, vaginal, or anal sex)
• always using latex condoms for all types of sexual intercourse
• avoiding contact with an infected person's blood
• not using intravenous drugs or sharing any drug paraphernalia
• not sharing things like toothbrushes or razors

Tattoo parlors sometimes reuse needles without properly sterilizing them, so be sure to research and choose tattoo and piercing providers carefully.

To help prevent the spread of hepatitis B, health care professionals wear gloves at all times when in contact with blood or body fluids, and are usually required to be immunized against the hepatitis B virus.

There is an immunization (vaccine) against hepatitis B. The immunization is given as a series of three shots over a 6-month period. Newborn babies in the United States now routinely receive this immunization series. Teens who see their health care provider for yearly exams are also likely to be given the hepatitis B immunization if they haven't had it before. Immunization programs have been responsible for a significant drop in the number of cases of hepatitis B among teens over the past 10 years.

Sometimes, if someone has been recently exposed to the hepatitis B virus, a doctor may recommend a shot of immune globulin containing antibodies against the virus to try to prevent the person from coming down with the disease. For this reason, it's especially important to see a doctor quickly after any possible exposure to the virus.

How Is It Treated?

If you think you may have hepatitis B or if you have been intimate with someone who may have hepatitis B, you need to see your doctor or gynecologist. He or she will do blood tests, and if a diagnosis of hepatitis B is made, you may also be treated with medicines to help fight it. Sometimes, people need to be hospitalized for a little while if they are too sick to eat or drink. Most people with hepatitis B feel better within 6 months.

Having a Healthy Pregnancy

If you've decided to have a baby, the most important thing you can do is to take good care of yourself so that you and your baby will be healthy. Girls who get the proper care and make the right choices have a very good chance of having healthy babies.

Prenatal Care

See a doctor as soon as possible after you find out you're pregnant to begin getting prenatal care (medical care during pregnancy). The sooner you start to get medical care, the better your chances that you and your baby will be healthy.

If you can't afford to go to a doctor or clinic for prenatal care, social service organizations can help you. Ask your parent, school counselor, or another trusted adult to help you locate resources in your community.

During your first visit, the doctor will ask you lots of questions, including the date of your last period. This helps the doctor estimate how long you have been pregnant and your due date.

Doctors measure pregnancies in weeks. A baby's due date is only an estimate, though: Most babies are born between 38 and 42 weeks after the first day of a woman's last menstrual period, or 36 to 40 weeks after conception (when the sperm fertilizes the egg). Only a small percentage of women actually deliver exactly on their due dates.

A pregnancy is divided into three phases, or trimesters. The first trimester is from conception to the end of week 13. The second trimester is from week 14 to the end of week 26. The third trimester is from week 27 to the end of the pregnancy.

The doctor will examine you and perform a pelvic exam. He or she may also perform blood tests, a urine test, and tests for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs, including a test for HIV, which is on the rise in teens. (Some STDs can cause serious medical problems in newborns, so it's important to get treatment to protect the baby.)

The doctor will explain the types of physical and emotional changes you can expect during pregnancy. He or she will also teach you to how to recognize the signs of possible problems during pregnancy (called complications). This is especially important because teens are more at risk for certain complications, such as anemia, high blood pressure, and delivering a baby earlier than usual (called premature delivery).

Your doctor will want you to start taking prenatal vitamins that contain folic acid, calcium, and iron as soon as possible. The doctor may prescribe the vitamins or recommend a brand that you can buy over the counter. These vitamins and minerals help ensure the baby's and mother's health as well as prevent some types of birth defects.

Ideally, you should see your doctor once each month for the first 28 weeks of your pregnancy, then every 2 weeks until 36 weeks, then once a week until you deliver the baby. If you have a medical condition such as diabetes that needs careful monitoring during your pregnancy, your doctor will probably want to see you more often.

During visits, your doctor will check your weight, blood pressure, and urine, and will measure your abdomen to keep track of the baby's growth. Once the baby's heartbeat can be heard with a special device, the doctor will listen for it at each visit. Your doctor will probably also send you for some other tests during the pregnancy, such as an ultrasound, to make sure that everything is OK with your baby.

One part of prenatal care is attending classes where expectant mothers can learn about having a healthy pregnancy and delivery and the basics of caring for a new baby. These classes may be offered at hospitals, medical centers, schools, and colleges in your area.

It can be difficult for adults to talk to their doctors about their bodies and even more difficult for teens to do so. Your doctor is there to help you stay healthy during pregnancy and have a healthy baby — and there's probably not much he or she hasn't heard from expectant mothers! So don't be afraid to ask questions.

Be upfront when your doctor asks questions, even if they seem embarrassing. A lot of the issues the doctor brings up could affect your baby's health. Think of your doctor both as a resource and a friend who you can confide in about what's happening to you.

Changes to Expect in Your Body

Pregnancy causes lots of physical changes in the body. Here are some common ones:

Breast Growth

An increase in breast size is one of the first signs of pregnancy, and the breasts may continue to grow throughout the pregnancy. You may go up several bra sizes during the course of your pregnancy.

Skin Changes

Don't be surprised if people tell you your skin is "glowing" when you are pregnant — pregnancy causes an increase in blood volume, which can make your cheeks a little pinker than usual. And hormonal changes increase oil gland secretion, which can give your skin a shinier appearance. Acne is also common during pregnancy for the same reason.

Other skin changes caused by pregnancy hormones may include brownish or yellowish patches on the face called chloasma and a dark line on the midline of the lower abdomen, known as the linea nigra.

Also, moles or freckles that you had prior to pregnancy may become bigger and darker. Even the areola, the area around the nipples, becomes darker. Stretch marks are thin pink or purplish lines that can appear on your abdomen, breasts, or thighs.

Except for the darkening of the areola, which can last, these skin changes will usually disappear after you give birth.

Mood Swings

It's very common to have mood swings during pregnancy. Some girls may also experience depression during pregnancy or after delivery. If you have symptoms of depression such as sadness, changes in sleep patterns, thoughts of hurting yourself, or bad feelings about yourself or your life, tell your doctor so he or she can help you to get treatment.

Pregnancy Discomforts

Pregnancy can cause some uncomfortable side effects. These include:

• nausea and vomiting (especially early in the pregnancy)
• leg swelling
• varicose veins in the legs and the area around the vaginal opening
• hemorrhoids
• heartburn and constipation
• backache
• fatigue
• sleep loss

If you have one or more of these side effects, keep in mind that you're not alone! Ask your doctor for advice on how to deal with these common problems.

If you are pregnant and have bleeding or pain, call the doctor immediately, even if you are not planning to continue the pregnancy.

Things to Avoid

Smoking, drinking alcohol, and taking drugs when you are pregnant put you and your baby at risk for a number of serious problems.

Alcohol

Doctors now believe that it's not safe to drink any amount of alcohol when you are pregnant. Drinking can harm a developing fetus, putting a baby at risk for birth defects and mental problems.

Smoking

The risks of smoking during pregnancy include stillbirths (when a baby dies while inside the mother), low birth weight (which increases a baby's risk for health problems), prematurity (when babies are born earlier than 37 weeks), and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). SIDS is the sudden, unexplained death of an infant who is younger than 1 year old.

Drugs

Using illegal drugs such as cocaine or marijuana during pregnancy can cause miscarriage, prematurity, and other medical problems. Babies can also be born addicted to certain drugs.

Ask your doctor for help if you are having trouble quitting smoking, drinking, or drugs. Check with your doctor before taking any medication while you are pregnant, including over-the-counter medications, herbal remedies and supplements, and vitamins.

Unsafe Sex

Talk to your doctor about sex during pregnancy. If your doctor says it's OK to have sex while you're pregnant, you must use a condom to help prevent getting an STD. Some STDs can cause blindness, pneumonia, or meningitis in newborns, so it's important to protect yourself and your baby.

Taking Care of Yourself During Pregnancy

Eating

Many girls worry about how their bodies look and are afraid to gain weight during pregnancy. But now that you are eating for two, this is not a good time to cut calories or go on a diet. Both you and your baby need certain nutrients so the baby can grow properly. Eating a variety of healthy foods, drinking plenty of water, and cutting back on high-fat junk foods will help you and your developing baby to be healthy.

Doctors generally recommend adding about 300 calories a day to your diet to provide adequate nourishment for the developing fetus. You should gain about 25 to 35 pounds during pregnancy, most of this during the last 6 months — although how much a girl should gain depends on how much she weighed before the pregnancy. Your doctor will advise you based on your individual situation.

Eating additional fiber — 25 to 30 grams a day — and drinking plenty of water can help to prevent common problems such as constipation. Good sources of fiber are fresh fruits and vegetables and breads, cereals, or muffins that have lots of whole grain in them.

You'll need to avoid eating or drinking certain things during pregnancy, such as:

• certain types of fish, such as swordfish, canned tuna, and other fish that may be high in mercury (your doctor can help you decide which fish you can eat)
• foods that contain raw eggs, such as mousse or Caesar salad
• raw or undercooked meat and fish
• processed meats, such as hot dogs and deli meats
• soft, unpasteurized cheeses, such as feta, brie, blue, and goat cheese
• unpasteurized milk, juice, or cider

It's also a good idea to limit artificial sweeteners, and drinks that contain caffeine and artificial sweeteners.

Exercise

Exercising during pregnancy is good for you as long as you are having an uncomplicated pregnancy and choose appropriate activities. Doctors generally recommend low-impact activities such as walking, swimming, and yoga. Contact sports and high-impact aerobic activities that pose a greater risk of injury should generally be avoided. Also, working at a job that involves heavy lifting is not recommended for women during pregnancy. Talk to your doctor if you have questions about whether particular types of exercise are safe for you and your baby.

Sleep

It's important to get plenty of rest while you are pregnant. Early in your pregnancy, try to get into the habit of sleeping on your side. Lying on your side with your knees bent is likely to be the most comfortable position as your pregnancy progresses. Also, it makes your heart's job easier because it keeps the baby's weight from applying pressure to the large vein that carries blood back to the heart from your feet and legs.

Some doctors recommend that girls who are pregnant sleep on the left side. Because of where some of your major blood vessels are, lying on your left side helps keep the uterus from pressing on them. Ask what your doctor recommends — in most cases, lying on either side should do the trick and help take some pressure off your back.

Throughout your pregnancy, but especially toward the end, you may wake up often at night to go to the bathroom. While it's important to drink enough water while you're pregnant, try to drink most of it during the day rather than at night. Use the bathroom right before going to bed. As you get further along in your pregnancy, you might have a difficult time getting comfortable in bed. Try positioning pillows around and under your belly, back, or legs to get more comfortable.

Stress can also interfere with sleep. Maybe you're worried about your baby's health, about delivery, or about what your new role as a parent will be like. All of these feelings are normal, but they may keep you up at night. Talk to your doctor if you are having problems sleeping during your pregnancy.

Emotional Health

It's common for pregnant teens to feel a range of emotions, such as fear, anger, guilt, confusion, and sadness. It may take a while to adjust to the fact that you're going to have a baby. It's a huge change, and it's natural for pregnant teens to wonder whether they're ready to handle the responsibilities that come with being a parent.

How a girl feels often depends on how much support she has from the baby's father, from her family (and the baby's father's family), and from friends. Each girl's situation is different. Depending on your situation, you may need to seek more support from people outside your family. It's important to talk to the people who can support and guide you and help you share and sort through your feelings. Your school counselor or nurse can refer you to resources in your community that can help.

Sometimes girls who are pregnant have miscarriages and lose the pregnancy. This can be very upsetting and difficult to go through for some girls, although it may bring feelings of relief for others. It is important to talk about these feelings and to get support from friends and family — or if that's not possible, from people such as counselors or teachers.

School and the Future

Some girls plan to raise their babies themselves. Sometimes grandparents or other family members help. Some girls decide to give their babies up for adoption. It takes a great deal of courage and concern for the baby to make these difficult decisions.

Girls who complete high school are more likely to have good jobs and enjoy more success in their lives. If possible, finish high school now rather than trying to return later. Ask your school counselor or an adult you trust for information about programs and classes in your community for pregnant teens.

Some communities have support groups especially for teen parents. Some high schools have child-care centers on campus. Perhaps a family member or friend can care for your baby while you're in school.

You can learn more about what to expect in becoming a parent by reading books, attending classes, or checking out reputable websites on child raising. Your baby's doctor, your parents, family members, or other adults can all help guide you while you are pregnant and after the baby is born.

5 Easy Ways to Increase Your Manpower

A testosterone shortage could cost you your life. As if losing muscle mass, bone density, and your sex drive to low T levels wasn't bad enough, new research shows the decline can also increase your risk of prostate cancer, heart disease, and even death. Follow these steps to lift your levels and lengthen your life.

1. Uncover Your Abs

As your waist size goes up, your testosterone goes down. In fact, a 4-point increase in your body mass index -- about 30 extra pounds on a 5'10" guy -- can accelerate your age-related T decline by 10 years. For a diet that'll help keep your gut in check, try the new TNT Diet.

2. Build Your Biceps

Finnish researchers recently found that men who lifted weights regularly experienced a 49 percent boost in their free testosterone levels. "As you strengthen your muscles, the amount of testosterone your body produces increases," says David Zava, Ph.D., CEO of ZRT Laboratory. You need to push iron only twice a week to see the benefit. For a 6-week muscle plan, take the MH Challenge.

3. Fill Up On Fat

Trimming lard from your diet can help you stay lean, but eliminating all fat can cause your T levels to plummet. A study published in the International Journal of Sports Medicine reveals that men who consumed the most fat also had the highest T levels. To protect your heart and preserve your T, eat foods high in monounsaturated fats -- food such as fish and nuts.

4. Push Away From The Bar

Happy hour can wreak havoc on your manly hormones. In a recent Dutch study, men who drank moderate amounts of alcohol daily for 3 weeks experienced a 7 percent decrease in their testosterone levels. Limit your drinking to one or two glasses of beer or wine a night to avoid a drop in T.

5. Stop Stress

Mental or physical stress can quickly depress your T levels. Stress causes cortisol to surge, which "suppresses the body's ability to make testosterone and utilize it within tissues," says Zava. Cardio can be a great tension tamer, unless you overdo it. Injuries and fatigue are signs that your workout is more likely to lower T than raise it.

Bladder Infections

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are often classified as upper or lower tract infections. Cystitis, infection of the bladder, is an example of a common lower tract infection. Pyelonephritis is the most prevalent upper tract infection. If an infection moves to the kidneys, it can be life threatening. So it is advised that you take this very seriously and seek the medical diagnosis of a physician immediately if you believe you may have a UTI. Although a UTI may occur after sexual intercourse and it is often related to the mechanisms of intercourse in sexually active women, it is not sexually transmitted.

The site of a urinary tract infection may be in the kidneys (which filter blood to produce urine), the ureters (the tubes that carry urine to the bladder), the bladder or the urethra (the tube that leads to the outside opening).

The urinary system is normally sterile (bacteria-free). Because the outside opening of the urinary system (the meatus) is located near the vagina and the anus, bacteria that occur normally in those areas can enter the meatus and contaminate the environment. Since the urethra in females is very short, it is easy for bacteria to infect the bladder.

Symptoms

The symptoms of urinary tract infections vary from individual to individual. Common symptoms are a burning sensation when urinating, a feeling of not being able to empty your bladder thoroughly, a feeling of having to urinate immediately, getting up to urinate multiple times at night (if not a usual pattern), frequently needing to urinate in small amounts. Other symptoms may include lower back pain, lower abdominal pain, and cloudy, bloody or foul-smelling urine. Some women have no symptoms during the early stages of an infection.

Prevention

The best form of medicine is prevention and by employing simple hygiene measures you can greatly decrease the likelihood of having a UTI. The following guidelines may help prevent the occurrence of urinary tract infections:

• Always wipe from front to back after urinating and after a bowel movement to avoid contaminating the urethra with bacteria from the vaginal and rectal areas.

• Urinate frequently during the day. Urinating allows the body to dispose of bacteria in the urine before an infection can develop.

• Always urinate within ten minutes after intercourse if possible. Intercourse causes slight trauma to the urethra and allows bacteria to enter. Urinating helps flush these bacteria out. If this is not possible, drinking 10-12 ounces of water immediately after intercourse will cause you to urinate later and help flush the bacteria out.

• Adequate lubrication during sex will decrease urethral irritation.

• If you have anal intercourse or anal-finger contact, wash the penis, vulva, hands and/or dildo with soap and water prior to vaginal penetration. This will reduce the risk of introducing bowel bacteria into the vagina and urethra.

• If condoms are used during anal contact, be sure to change condoms before engaging in vaginal contact.

• Drink at least eight glasses of liquids (preferably water) per day, to increase urination and help flush out bacteria.

• Avoid coffee, tea, carbonated beverages and alcohol. These substances irritate the bladder and cause a slight amount of bleeding to occur. When bleeding occurs, bacteria may enter the blood vessels more easily.

• Do not allow the meatus (urethral opening) to remain moist for long periods. Moist environments are favourable for bacterial growth and mobility. Bubble baths, wet or tight clothing, use of nylon underwear, and spandex clothing, all promote moistness and irritation.

• Clean around the meatus with water, daily, to remove secretions and decrease moisture.

• Cranberry juice, cranberry pills, or dried cranberries help prevent cystitis by stopping bacteria from adhering to the bladder wall.

Treatment

Medication for a UTI is prescribed according to an individual's specific needs, medical history, symptoms and urine test results. Treatment consists of a prescribed antibiotic. It is essential that you strictly follow your medication directions. Be sure to complete the medication - even if you no longer have symptoms of an infection. If you stop taking your medication before the prescribed time, bacteria may remain in your bladder and urethra and cause the infection to flare up again. Also, by doing this, you are actually allowing the harmful bacteria to become stronger and thus more resistant to antibiotic treatment. The next infection may be that much harder to remedy.

Occasionally, a bladder infection will recur directly following treatment, even if medications are taken exactly as prescribed. If this happens, you should contact your physician again for re-evaluation.

Introduction to Sex Therapy

Sex Therapy is the treatment of individuals who face the trauma of dealing with a sexual dysfunction or unhealthy sexual expression. Using the most sophisticated techniques possible therapy accesses drugs, psychiatry and other areas of medical sciences to deal with a complicated series of sexual problems.

The Rise of Sexual Therapy

Since sexuality has become more and more important in our society the value of sexual therapy has become more and more important. Along with increased attention from the scientific community, the treatment of sexual dysfunction has soared in recent years. Now that we know more about physiology and psychology we are able to treat sexual problems more effectively than even before.

Sexual identity is usually like air, you never notice it until it’s gone or polluted. Most only have a deep connection with their sexuality when it is something to struggle with. For these people struggling with their sexual functions they may experience a devaluation of self.

The institution of marriage is changing and shifting and bringing with it all sorts of different organizing structures for relationships. Alternatives to marriage are now being more openly tried and are becoming more widely accepted than at any other time in our history. Regardless of the structure of the intimate relationship shared, sexuality serves a valuable function for most couples. It becomes an expression of caring, not only for the partner, but also for oneself. It can become a powerful bonding element in a relationship, which, in today's society, must withstand considerable demands on time, energy and commitment. Dissatisfaction with the sexual relationship and the loss of that shared intimacy, in many instances, may lead to negative feelings and attitudes that are destructive to the relationship. Many marriages end therefore, because of unresolved sexual differences and difficulties.

The Problems

The sex therapist works with a wide variety of problems related to sexuality. People seek help with such problems as arousal (impotence and frigidity), as well as problems with orgasm (either inability to climax or the inability to control ejaculation). In addition to seeking medical evaluation and treatment, many people who experience painful intercourse also seek the assistance of a sex therapist. Couples often seek help when it becomes apparent that differences exist in their sexual desires, or when they sense that their sexual relationship is not developing as they would wish. The need for additional information, more effective verbal/physical communication and sexual enrichment leads many couples to the sex therapist's office in their quest to enhance their intimate relationship.

The qualified sex therapist is also available to those wishing to resolve troublesome sexual inhibitions or change undesirable sexual habits. People with questions about their sexual identity or sexual preferences seek out the trained sex therapist for consultation. Parents consult the therapist about the sexual curiosity and experimentation of their children and seek insight into ways to foster the healthy development of their youngsters through effective sex education in the home. Sex therapists also assist those experiencing sexual difficulties as a result of physical disabilities - or as the consequence of illness, surgery, aging or alcohol abuse.

Sex Therapy’s Uniqueness

Sex therapy employs many of the same basic principles as the other therapeutic modalities, but is unique in that it is an approach developed specifically for the treatment of sexual problems. That is, sex therapy is a specialized form of treatment used with one aspect of the wide range of human problems. Herein lies its value and also its limitation! Sex therapy techniques, when applied by an unskilled counselor or therapist, might focus too readily on mechanical sexual behavior, to the exclusion of the total individual and the total relationship.

What Can’t Sex Therapy Do

As with any therapy for personal or behavioral difficulties, sex therapy has its limitations. Although treatment is usually brief and effective with most sexual concerns, sex therapy does not offer a miracle cure for all interpersonal problems.

Success of treatment depends upon many factors, not the least of which are the nature of the problem, the motivation of the patient, the therapeutic goals and the therapist's skills. The motivated prospective patient and/or couple should choose a therapist carefully and establish realistic goals early in the counseling.

If you are not comfortable with your therapist or feel that the therapist has set unrealistic performance goals for you, discuss these concerns with him/her. All therapy depends upon trust and mutual respect, but this is particularly true when working with intimate issues of sexuality.

Discerning a Quack From a Doctor

One must realize that with any new field, a variety of definitions and expectations will exist for a time, and that a wide variety of people will claim expertise in accordance with their own definition of the field. The expectations presented here might be criticized as too rigid, but it is purposefully intended to present a fairly strict set of guidelines for selecting a sex therapist. Very few states license sex therapists, so the client must exercise caution and must choose wisely!

Five criteria need to be met in choosing a sex therapist.

1. Firstly, the therapist must have a sound knowledge of the anatomical and physiological bases of the sexual response. The sex therapist may, therefore, have a basic medical background or may come out of another non-medical profession but with post-graduate education in the biological aspects of human sexuality. A qualified non-medical sex therapist will usually work closely with physicians or may function as a non-physician in a medical clinic or university school of medicine.
   
   
2. Secondly, the qualified sex therapist must be skilled in providing counseling and psychotherapy, and most sex therapists will be found to have a sound background in psychology, psychiatry, psychiatric social work or psychiatric nursing. This background in the behavior sciences is essential to the understanding of the total individual and to the planning of an individualized treatment program. There are, however, some notable exceptions to the rule that sex therapists should have a traditional mental health training background, in that there are also highly respected and well trained sex therapists who began as clergy. These clergy, however, need to demonstrate specific post-graduate training in pastoral counseling or in equivalent psychiatric mental health areas.
   
   
3. The third criterion is that the sex therapist, having both biological and psychological sophistication, must be able to demonstrate extensive post-graduate training specifically within the areas of sexual function and dysfunction, sex counseling and sex therapy. A weekend workshop or possession of a few sex therapy films does not meet this criterion, and the prospective client should feel free to ask for a list of specific training experiences in these specialized areas.
   
   
4. The fourth requirement to be met is that of having expertise in relationship counseling. That is, the sex therapist should also be a skilled marital, family and/or group therapist. In order to work effectively with sexual problems, the sex therapist must be able to work effectively with non-sexual relationships as well. Sexual behavior does not occur in a vacuum - it occurs within a relationship! The total relationship must, therefore, be accurately evaluated and treated.
   
   
5. The fifth requirement is the therapist's adherence to a strict code of ethics! Prospective clients have the right to request a copy of the therapist's ethical code before agreeing to any treatment.

Get a Referral

If you need a sex therapist, you might begin by consulting your family physician, gynecologist or urologist. Ask for a referral to someone your doctor has used confidently in the past.

When calling a professional, be sure to ask questions about qualifications, experience and fees! It is recommended that you call and ask, "Do you have a specialty?" rather than stating, "I have a sex problem - can you help?"

Perhaps the most useful referrals will come from other knowledgeable professionals within your community. However, it is also helpful to be able to discover which therapists belong to recognized national professional associations having high membership requirements and enforcing rigid codes of ethics. Specifically, The American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) is a national professional association that certifies marriage and family therapists and who would provide a list of its clinical members in your geographical area. More specifically, The American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT) is the largest national group that certifies sex educators, sex counselors and sex therapists. You can find the names and addresses of the certified professionals in your area by writing to this association. AASECT will also provide you with a copy of their Code of Ethics for Sex Therapists upon request. Addresses for AAMFT and AASECT are provided at the end of this page.

Dealing with the Issues

Even qualified sex therapists may differ widely in their basic approaches to the treatment of sexual problems, but some generalizations can be made.

First of all, you can expect to be talking explicitly and in detail about sex. One cannot solve sexual problems by talking around them! Neither can one gain new sexual information unless clear, direct instruction is given!

Second, you might expect to be offered the opportunity to add to your knowledge by reading selected books and/or viewing clinical films designed specifically for use in sex therapy. You should not, however, do anything which you do not understand, and you must reserve for yourself the right to question the purpose of an assignment. It is your right to decline or postpone acting on the suggestions of your therapist, rather than allowing yourself to be pushed into behavior which might actually increase your discomfort. Every assignment, task or experience presented by the therapist should fit into an understandable and acceptable treatment plan - and you have the right to question the procedures.

Third, you should expect sex therapists to be non-judgmental and to portray their own comfort in giving and receiving sexual information. While you might expect to be challenged and confronted on important issues, you should also expect to experience a respectful attitude toward those values which you do not wish to change.

Fourth, unless your therapist is a licensed physician wishing to conduct a physical examination, you should not expect to be asked to disrobe in the presence of your therapist. Sexual contact between client and therapist is considered unethical and is destructive to the therapeutic relationship. Neither should you expect to be required to perform sexually with your partner in the presence of your therapist. Overt sexual activities just should not occur in your therapist's presence, even though the talk, material and the assignments must, by the nature of the problem, be specifically sexual and at times bluntly explicit.

Finally, you should feel that you are heard and adequately represented in your sexual therapy. That is, you should not have been stereotyped as "female”, "gay", "too old", or in any other way that interferes with your sense of unique identity within the therapeutic setting. You should feel that you are being treated as an individual, not as a category!

Sex therapy is a new, dynamic approach to very real human problems. It is based on the assumptions that sex is good, that relationships should be meaningful, and that interpersonal intimacy is a desirable goal. Sex therapy is by its nature a very sensitive treatment and by necessity must include respect for the client's values. It must be nonjudgmental and non-sexist, with recognition of the equal rights of men and women to full expression and enjoyment of healthy sexual relationships.

What is Sexual Risk?

Few people would try to drive a car for the first time without getting some sort of instruction. Most of us know that before we can make a great soufflé we need to learn a bit about baking, and practice cracking eggs. Yet when it comes to sex, we are far too ready to rush into a decision without enough background information.

The first thing to understand about safer sex is that, like any sort of behavior in life, all sexual behavior carries some risk. Here are some examples of how sex can be risky:

1. You could be masturbating in your bed, fall off the bed and break your arm.
2. You are cautious about having sex with a new person, but decide to take the plunge. The sex is awkward, and the next day they break up with you in a really mean way.
3. You have unprotected oral sex with your partner and get a sexually transmitted disease.
4. You have what you think is a one night stand with someone who wants to move in with you the very next day.

There is risk in getting out of bed, in going to work or school, and in engaging in sexual behaviors both by yourself and with others.

So the goal is not to have “risk-free” sex, because it doesn’t exist.

The goal is for you to understand the risks you are taking, to choose what risks to take and not to take, and to make these decisions on your own, without too much influence from:

• Parents
• Partners
• Social pressure
• Drugs or alcohol
• A host of other external factors

Understanding sexual risk is all about taking the time to make choices, rather than diving into a situation without thinking.

Because most of us don’t get the chance to learn a lot about sex, and we aren’t really allowed to talk about it much, we tend to make decisions without the kind of information we need to make good decisions.

Ultimately sexual risks are the potential negative consequences from sexual behavior and activities. The most obvious examples of this are sexually transmitted diseases. So when you think about having safer sex, of course think about the ways you can protect yourself and your partner(s) from sexually transmitted diseases, but also consider more broadly the way you make sexual choices without thinking, and the ways you can bring more thoughtfulness to your sexual decision making.

Yoga Sex Explored For Those Interested In Yoga Sex For A Fulfilling Sex Life

Yoga sex as it will be discussed on this page refers to how you can improve your sex life through yoga. This discussion does not concern using specific yoga sex positions.

Although many of the yoga positions explained on this page, and in our many articles about yoga located at the bottom of this page, can indeed be used to dramatically spice up your sex life!

When you improve your spiritual and physical self, through yoga or many other methods, you will without a doubt have a better sex life.

Now contrary to what many people believe, the true yoga practitioners are no more against the pleasures of sex than they are food even though some of the elder sages do live on a lofty spiritual plane where all aspects of yoga sex techniques have ceased to matter.

On the contrary, Yoga, being a philosophy singularly free of both Puritanism and hypocrisy, its disciples recognize the yoga sex urge for the healthy instinct it is and would consider any attempt at its suppression profoundly unhealthy.

In other words, yoga and sex do go together.

Suppression and denial of yoga sex improvements can lead only to physical upsets and mental harm. But the Yogis are steeped in the general Eastern attitude which is simply that sexual impulses, yoga sex etc., like any other natural urges, may be used to either good purpose or evil, depending on ourselves.

If yoga sex is made synonymous with physical love-the carnal side of deep and genuine emotion-it becomes a supremely meaningful and beautiful expression of the man-woman relationship, the ultimate union.

The Hindu believe that woman is the complementary part of man, a gift from heaven, man's soul companion and helpmate, and that union must be not only mental and spiritual, but physical.

Marriage is entered upon in an attitude of humility, with full recognition of its solemnity.

In fact, one of the basic Hindu yoga sex writings, the Kama Sutra, is an elaborate treatise on the philosophy and etiquette of love, courtship and yoga sex behavior, both male and female, detailed in a manner which our best modern manuals on marriage techniques do not begin to approach.

Hindu temples are often decorated with phallic yoga sex representations which shock the traveler, but which to the worshippers have a deep spiritual significance. Because of this cultural attitude Oriental women share with their men an approach at the same time more natural and more sophisticated.

The Yogis, who teach that man's supreme goal is Self-realization, understand that such realization cannot be wholly achieved except through union with woman, his other half.

What one sex lacks the other provides.

Rigid denial of yoga sex is merely a superficial form of escape which is self-defeating. To live fully, with understanding, each human being must know something of the innermost depths of the mind of the other sex.

It is impossible to advance to complete understanding of Self, and of the world at large, while living in ignorance of the other half of mankind. Man and woman have been created for each other, not to exist in separate vacuums.

However, Self-realization may not be equated with self-indulgence. Therefore yoga sex teaches that much of our sex drive must also be sublimated, that is, channelled into other life drives, creative or otherwise useful and always constructive.

In this Yoga is not too different from the Freudian theory which claims that all our urges, including the life urge itself, are based in the libido.

The very symbol of Kundalini, remember, is the serpent; and the serpent is one of the basic and universal symbols of male sexuality, not only in Freudian language but throughout mythology and folklore everywhere.

This, according to some authorities, symbolizes yoga sex and the creative power wrongly used.

The Yogis themselves have learned how to transmute yoga sex energy into physic channels. Thus it is never either actually suppressed or dissipated but rather transmuted.

Sometimes it is drawn to the solar plexus for utilizing in healthful physical exercise. Sometimes it is sent to the brain and toward the spirit. To the advanced Yoga sex expert it then brings poise, harmony, freedom from desire, lasting serenity, and finally a merging with the universal consciousness.

To us average individuals, control over this basic inner force may well mean a happier personal life.

The man and woman doesn't exist whose personal life is not closely related to an amazing sex life - through yoga sex or any other improvements.

Yoga offers many such solutions. In the first place, a number of the yoga exercises help sublimate a restless sex urge while others awaken a sluggish body. Restlessness becomes positive, creative energy which may then be properly utilized instead of merely bringing trouble.

Conversely, lack of interest in one's mate-and sometimes the free-floating hostility arising out of such feelings-slowly gives way to a warmer, more giving attitude.

Sex, as we all know, is not all there is to a good marriage but it is one of its cornerstones. A warm hearted partner mated with a cold, unresponsive one may be willing out of loyalty to put up with a physical starvation diet, but is bound to be adversely affected and sometimes even emotionally destroyed.

Or else, the marriage itself is destroyed when once the rejected partner, having had enough of indifference, turns elsewhere for affection.

The sexless person-not as rare as many imagine-is a kind of emotionally impoverished individual.

Yoga sex education frees the student of the straight-jacket of prudishness and of hostility. But long before such emotional growth has been achieved certain obvious changes may be brought about through the daily performance of the proper asanas and mudras.

As we have said so many times at various points in this discussion, there can be no underestimating of the interplay of the physical and the spiritual in the human makeup. Therefore putting your physical house in order will do wonders for you in other ways too.

Sluggish sex urges are often traceable to inadequately functioning endocrine glands and a resulting hormone deficiency. The gonads, or sex glands, would be the offenders here.

But the gonads, like the other endocrines, are themselves controlled by the pituitary gland which is known to secrete about a dozen hormones that stimulate the proper functioning of all the other seven pair.

It may very well be, therefore, that the sexually indifferent person's basic trouble lies in some malfunctioning of the pituitary, a condition which medicine would treat by means of expensive hormone injections or equally expensive pills. The yoga method, of course, is through exercise.

You will find that the Headstand or Sirshasana advanced yoga poses, found in other yoga articles on this site, if practiced regularly, will stimulate the pituitary gland by sending a vast flow of blood to the head as your body briefly defies the laws of gravity.

Thus stimulated, it will then immediately wake up the gonads, which will begin to respond by producing hormones of their own. Needless to say this is not the only beneficial result of the Headstand (its various therapeutic effects are detailed along with directions for executing it) but it happens to be the yoga effect which concerns us here.

But revitalizing the pituitary is not the only way to keep the gonads in top functioning condition. Exercises for both stimulating and sublimating the yoga sex instincts include the Stomach Lift or Uddiyana Bandha, the Plough or Halasana, the Fish Pose, Matsyasana and the Supine Pelvic Posture.

Keep in mind that each of these sample yoga exercises is beneficial in more ways than for sex.

By learning to do them you will be reaping fringe benefits, but their specific value here is revitalization of the gonad secretions, overcoming seminal weakness in men and ovarian disturbances in women.

In a short while the sex effects will become apparent and will doubtless surprise you: you will be rewarded not only by physical revitalization, but a sense of greater inner harmony.

Anxieties relating to yoga and your sexual activity in general will gradually vanish.

Learning how to sublimate the yoga urge is a way to develop spiritual strength. Directing the emotions toward goals of universal love means reaching out toward everything in this world that is alive and good.

Love like this of course transcends the limits of sexual emotion and those who are able to experience it come to know an inner happiness denied less understanding and compassionate natures.

The very last thing a Yogi would maintain is that one must rise above sex. On the contrary, Yoga teaches that it is desirable to rise by means of it to greater spiritual heights.

Properly used, sex is the greatest of gifts and none may despise its rich potentialities. Both sexes should therefore learn to accept themselves completely, man as man, woman as woman, while at the same time recognizing that each of us carries some of the qualities of the opposite sex within us.

Armed with this knowledge and understanding, using yoga as an adornment, it is then possible to glory in its possession, not stifle it.

Tips for Safer & Smarter Sex (Featured Article)

It is always smart to talk about sex with your partner, a peer educator or a healthcare professional before you make the decision to have sex. While sexual intercourse always involves some risk of pregnancy or sexually transmitted disease, there are definitely ways of making your sexual experiences safer. Here are 10 simple things you can do, say and think about now before you have sex:

1. Talk smart sex first. Have smart sex later. STIs and unintended pregnancies affect both partners, not just one person. If you feel uncomfortable discussing sex and birth control with your partner, then you shouldn't be having sex. Be straightforward and talk about sex beforehand so both partners know what to expect. It's easier to be rational and reasonable before you're in the "heat of the moment."

2. Don't feel pressured to have sex. Or have sex out of fear - fear of hurting someone's feelings by saying no or fear of being the "only one" who isn't doing it. Virtually everyone wants to fit in with his or her friends, but you should never compromise your values to be "part of the crowd." If you don't want to have sex, be honest, discuss the reasons behind your decision with your partner and stay true to you.

3. Don't abuse alcohol/use drugs if you think things could get physical. Drug use or alcohol abuse interferes with decision-making, which can lead to date rape, forgetting to use contraceptives or contracting an STI. The lowering of inhibitions that often accompanies alcohol use might make you think you'll enjoy sex more, but in fact, for a variety of biochemical reasons, too much alcohol actually makes sex less enjoyable for both men and women.

4. Two are better than one. To help prevent both pregnancy and STIs, you should correctly and consistently use a birth control method like the Pill, contraceptive injection or diaphragm (for pregnancy prevention) and a condom (to prevent STIs). Condom use is essential, especially in relationships that are not monogamous. If your partner says no to contraceptives that may prevent STIs, like condoms, it's probably time to rethink your relationship. Nothing is worth the potential lifetime consequences of a few minutes of unprotected fun.

5. Use the buddy system. If you go to a party or a bar, go with friends and keep an eye out for each other. Agree that you won't leave with another person without telling someone. Sometimes a friend's "second opinion" could help prevent you from making decisions that you might regret later.

6. Remember that "no" means NO and passed out doesn't mean YES. Being drunk isn't a defense for committing sexual assault. If you are too drunk to understand a person trying to say no; if you are too drunk to listen and respect a person saying no; or if you have sex with somebody who is passed out or incapable of giving consent, it can be considered rape.

7. Respect everyone's right to make his/her own personal decision - including yourself. There is no imaginary "deadline," no ideal age, no perfect point in a relationship where sex has to happen. If your partner tells you that he or she is not ready to have sex, respect his/her decision, be supportive and discuss the reasons behind it. It is everyone's ultimate right to decide when and how they have sex - be it the first time or the tenth time.

8. Be prepared for a sex emergency. Consider carrying two condoms with you just in case one breaks or tears while it's being put on. Both men and women are equally responsible for preventing STIs, using contraceptives and both should carry condoms. Sometimes things go wrong even when you try to do everything right. Women should also know about emergency contraception or EC. Taken within 72 hours of intercourse, EC may prevent pregnancy.

9. The best protection doesn't mean less affection. Abstinence is actually the most effective way to protect against STIs and prevent pregnancy. But practicing abstinence doesn't mean you can't have an intimate physical relationship with someone - it just means you don't have vaginal or anal intercourse. There are many other ways to be intimate and not have intercourse - just be aware that alternatives, like oral sex, carry their own risks.

10. Make sexual health a priority. Whether you are having sex or not, both men and women need to have regular check-ups to make sure they are sexually healthy. Women should have annual gynecological exams.

How Do People Get AIDS?

AIDS stands for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, a disease that makes it difficult for the body to fight off infectious diseases. The human immunodeficiency virus known as HIV causes AIDS by infecting and damaging part of the body's defenses against infection, namely the white blood cells known as CD4 helper lymphocytes (pronounced: lim-fuh-sites).

The only known way for HIV to be transmitted from one person to another is when it is spread from the inside of an infected person's body to the inside of another person's body. This can happen when infected fluids - such as semen (also known as "cum," the fluid released from the penis when a male ejaculates), vaginal fluids, or blood - are passed from one person to another. A person can become infected even if only tiny amounts of these fluids are spread.

How does someone become infected? HIV can be spread through sexual intercourse if one of the partners has the virus. The virus can be spread through an infected person's blood, semen, and secretions from the cervix (part of a female's uterus) or vagina. HIV can travel to another person through cuts and sores on the penis, rectum (the last part of the intestine that connects to the anus), vagina, or skin around the genitals and probably the mouth and other mucous membranes. These cuts or sores are often so small that a person isn't even aware of them. Girls and guys who have a discharge (an abnormal fluid coming from the vagina or penis) or genital sores because they have a sexually transmitted disease are at increased risk for infection. HIV can be spread sexually from a man to a woman, a woman to a man, a man to a man, and a woman to a woman.

People who inject themselves with drugs also risk infecting themselves with HIV. Many people who use needles to take intravenous drugs or steroids share the needles with others. If a person with HIV shares a needle, he or she also shares the virus, which lives in the tiny amounts of blood attached to the needle. Sharing needles can also pass hepatitis and other serious infections to another person.

Also, a newborn baby is at risk of getting the HIV virus from his or her mother if she is infected. This can happen before the baby is born, during birth, or through breastfeeding. and women should be tested for HIV because infected women who receive treatment for HIV are much less likely to spread the virus to their babies. Babies born to mothers infected with HIV are also given special medicines to try to prevent HIV infection.

If you have never had sex and you don't inject drugs, you don't need to worry about whether you have HIV. But if you have had sex or are planning to in the future, HIV is definitely something you should be prepared to prevent. If you do have sex, using latex condoms properly every time can help protect you. Condoms work by providing a barrier to the body fluids that can be shared during sexual activity (including oral sex). Always follow the directions exactly and never use the same condom twice.

Asking people if they have HIV is not a reliable way of finding out whether they are infected. People may not answer truthfully. They may be embarrassed to tell you or may not want you to know. Or they may not even know they have the virus because it can take many years for symptoms to develop. An infected person will look healthy for many years and can still spread the virus. The most certain way of preventing HIV infection is by not having sex (abstinence) and by not sharing needles to do drugs.

There are many places you can get more information about HIV and AIDS, personal counseling, and, when appropriate, testing. Talk with your doctor about any concerns you might have.

HIV and AIDS

What Is It?

AIDS is one of the most serious, deadly diseases in human history.

More than 20 years ago, doctors in the United States identified the first cases of AIDS in San Francisco and New York. Now there are an estimated 42 million people living with HIV or AIDS worldwide, and more than 3 million die every year from AIDS-related illnesses.

AIDS is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). HIV destroys a type of defense cell in the body called a CD4 helper lymphocyte (pronounced: lim-fuh-site). These lymphocytes are part of the body's immune system, the defense system that fights infectious diseases. But as HIV destroys these lymphocytes, people with the virus begin to get serious infections that they normally wouldn't — that is, they become immune deficient. The name for this condition is acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).

As the medical community learns more about how HIV works, they've been able to develop drugs to inhibit it (meaning they interfere with its growth). These drugs have been successful in slowing the progress of the disease, and people with the disease now live much longer. But there is still no cure for HIV and AIDS.

Hundreds of U.S. teens become infected with HIV each year. HIV can be transmitted from an infected person to another person through blood, semen (also known as "cum," the fluid released from the penis when a male ejaculates), vaginal fluids, and breast milk.

The virus is spread through high-risk behaviors including:

• unprotected oral, vaginal, or anal sexual intercourse ("unprotected" means not using a condom)
• sharing needles, such as needles used to inject drugs (including needles used for injecting steroids) and those used for tattooing
  

People who have another sexually transmitted disease, such as syphilis, genital herpes, chlamydia, gonorrhea, or bacterial vaginosis are at greater risk for getting HIV during sex with infected partners.

If a woman with HIV is pregnant, her newborn baby can catch the virus from her before birth, during the birthing process, or from breastfeeding. If doctors know an expectant mother has HIV, they can usually prevent the spread of the virus from mother to baby. All pregnant teens and women should be tested for HIV so they can begin treatment if necessary.

How Does HIV Affect the Body?

A healthy body is equipped with CD4 helper lymphocyte cells (CD4 cells). These cells help the immune system function normally and fight off certain kinds of infections. They do this by acting as messengers to other types of immune system cells, telling them to become active and fight against an invading germ.

HIV attaches to these CD4 cells, infects them, and uses them as a place to multiply. In doing so, the virus destroys the ability of the infected cells to do their job in the immune system. The body then loses the ability to fight many infections.

Because their immune systems are weakened, people who have AIDS are unable to fight off many infections, particularly tuberculosis and other kinds of otherwise rare infections of the lung (such as Pneumocystis carinii pnuemonia), the surface covering of the brain (meningitis), or the brain itself (encephalitis). People who have AIDS tend to keep getting sicker, especially if they are not taking antiviral medications properly.

AIDS can affect every body system. The immune defect caused by having too few CD4 cells also permits some cancers that are stimulated by viral illness to occur — some people with AIDS get forms of lymphoma and a rare tumor of blood vessels in the skin called Kaposi's sarcoma. Because AIDS is fatal, it's important that doctors detect HIV infection as early as possible so a person can take medication to delay the onset of AIDS.

How Do People Know They Have HIV?

Once a person's blood lacks the number of CD4 cells required to fight infections, or the person has signs of specific illnesses or diseases that occur in people with HIV infection, doctors make a diagnosis of AIDS.

Severe symptoms of HIV infection and AIDS may not appear for 10 years. And for years leading up to that, a person may not have symptoms of AIDS. The amount of time it takes for symptoms of AIDS to appear varies from person to person. Some people may feel and look healthy for years while they are infected with HIV. It is still possible to infect others with HIV, even if the person with the virus has absolutely no symptoms. You cannot tell simply by looking at someone whether he or she is infected.

When a person's immune system is overwhelmed by AIDS, the symptoms can include:

• extreme weakness or fatigue
• rapid weight loss
• frequent fevers that last for several weeks with no explanation
• heavy sweating at night
• swollen lymph glands
• minor infections that cause skin rashes and mouth, genital, and anal sores
• white spots in the mouth or throat
• chronic diarrhea
• a cough that won't go away
• trouble remembering things

Girls may also experience severe vaginal yeast infections that don't respond to usual treatment, as well as pelvic inflammatory disease (PID).

How Can It Be Prevented?

One of the reasons that HIV is so dangerous is that a person can have the virus for a long time without knowing it. That person can then spread the virus to others through high-risk behaviors. HIV transmission can be prevented by:

• abstaining from sex (not having oral, vaginal, or anal sex)
• always using latex condoms for all types of sexual intercourse
• avoiding contact with the bodily fluids through which HIV is transmitted
• never sharing needles

How Is It Diagnosed and Treated?

If you think that you may have HIV or AIDS or if you have had a partner who may have HIV or AIDS, see your family doctor, adolescent doctor, or gynecologist. He or she will talk with you and perform tests. The doctor may do a blood test or a swab of the inside of your cheek. Depending on what type of test is done, results may take from a few hours to several days.

People can also get tested for HIV/AIDS at special AIDS clinics around the country. Clinics offer both anonymous (meaning the clinic doesn't know a person's name) and confidential (meaning they know who a person is but keep it private) testing. Most AIDS testing centers will ask you to follow up for counseling to get your results, whether the test is negative or positive.

If you're not sure how to find a doctor or get an AIDS test, you can contact the National AIDS Hotlines at (800) 342-AIDS (English) or (800) 344-7432 (Spanish). A specialist there will explain what you should do next.

There is no cure for AIDS, which makes prevention so important. Combinations of antiviral drugs and drugs that boost the immune system have allowed many people with HIV to resist infections, stay healthy, and prolong their lives, but these medications are not a cure. Right now there is no vaccine to prevent HIV and AIDS, although researchers are working on developing one.

Sexual Health > For Girls > All About Menstruation

Menstruation (a period) is a major stage of puberty in girls; it's one of the many physical signs that a girl is turning into a woman. And like a lot of the other changes associated with puberty, menstruation can be confusing. Some girls can't wait to start their periods, whereas others may feel afraid or anxious. Many girls (and guys!) don't have a complete understanding of a woman's reproductive system or what actually happens during the menstrual cycle, making the process seem even more mysterious.

Puberty and Periods

When girls begin to go through puberty (usually starting between the ages of 8 and 13), their bodies and minds change in many ways. The hormones in their bodies stimulate new physical development, such as growth and breast development. About 2 to 2½ years after a girl's breasts begin to develop, she usually gets her first menstrual period.

About 6 months or so before getting her first period, a girl might notice an increased amount of clear vaginal discharge. This discharge is common. There's no need for a girl to worry about discharge unless it has a strong odor or causes itchiness.

The start of periods is known as menarche. Menarche doesn't happen until all the parts of a girl's reproductive system have matured and are working together.

Baby girls are born with ovaries, fallopian tubes, and a uterus. The two ovaries are oval-shaped and sit on either side of the uterus (womb) in the lowest part of the abdomen called the pelvis. They contain thousands of eggs, or ova. The two fallopian tubes are long and thin. Each fallopian tube stretches from an ovary to the uterus, a pear-shaped organ that sits in the middle of the pelvis. The muscles in a female's uterus are powerful and are able to expand to allow the uterus to accommodate a growing fetus and then help push the baby out during labor.

As a girl matures and enters puberty, the pituitary gland releases hormones that stimulate the ovaries to produce other hormones called estrogen and progesterone. These hormones have many effects on a girl's body, including physical maturation, growth, and emotions.

About once a month, a tiny egg leaves one of the ovaries — a process called ovulation — and travels down one of the fallopian tubes toward the uterus. In the days before ovulation, the hormone estrogen stimulates the uterus to build up its lining with extra blood and tissue, making the walls of the uterus thick and cushioned. This happens to prepare the uterus for pregnancy: If the egg is fertilized by a sperm cell, it travels to the uterus and attaches to the cushiony wall of the uterus, where it slowly develops into a baby.

If the egg isn't fertilized, though — which is the case during most of a woman's monthly cycles — it doesn't attach to the wall of the uterus. When this happens, the uterus sheds the extra tissue lining. The blood, tissue, and unfertilized egg leave the uterus, going through the vagina on the way out of the body. This is a menstrual period. This cycle happens almost every month for several more decades (except, of course, when a female is pregnant) until a woman reaches menopause and no longer releases eggs from her ovaries.

How Often Does a Girl Get Her Period?

Just as some girls begin puberty earlier or later than others, the same applies to periods. Some girls may start menstruating as early as age 10, but others may not get their first period until they are 15 years old.

The amount of time between a girl's periods is called her menstrual cycle (the cycle is counted from the start of one period to the start of the next). Some girls will find that their menstrual cycle lasts 28 days, whereas others might have a 24-day cycle, a 30-day cycle, or even longer. Following menarche, menstrual cycles last 21–45 days. After a couple of years, cycles shorten to an adult length of 21–34 days.

Irregular periods are common in girls who are just beginning to menstruate. It may take the body a while to sort out all the changes going on, so a girl may have a 28-day cycle for 2 months, then miss a month, for example. Usually, after a year or two, the menstrual cycle will become more regular. Some women continue to have irregular periods into adulthood, though.

As a girl gets older and her periods settle down — or she gets more used to her own unique cycle — she will probably find that she can predict when her period will come. In the meantime, it's a good idea to keep track of your menstrual cycle with a calendar.

How Long and How Much?

The amount of time that a girl has her period also can vary. Some girls have periods that last just 2 or 3 days. Other girls may have periods that last 7 days or longer. The menstrual flow — meaning how much blood comes out of the vagina — can vary widely from girl to girl, too.

Some girls may be concerned that they're losing too much blood. It can be a shock to see all that blood, but it's unlikely that a girl will lose too much, unless she has a medical condition like von Willebrand disease. Though it may look like a lot, the average amount of blood is only about 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) for an entire period. Most teens will change pads 3 to 6 times a day, with more frequent changes when their period is heaviest, usually at the start of the period.

Especially when menstrual periods are new, you may be worried about your blood flow or whether your period is normal in other ways. Talk to a doctor or nurse if:

• your period lasts longer than a week
• you have to change your pad very often (soaking more than one pad every 1–2 hours)
• you go longer than 3 months between periods
• you have bleeding in between periods
• you have an unusual amount of pain before or during your period
• your periods were regular then became irregular

Cramps, PMS, and Pimples

Some girls may notice physical or emotional changes around the time of their periods. Menstrual cramps are pretty common — in fact, more than half of all women who menstruate say they have cramps during the first few days of their periods. Doctors think that cramps are caused by prostaglandin, a chemical that causes the muscles of the uterus to contract.

Depending on the girl, menstrual cramps can be dull and achy or sharp and intense, and they can sometimes be felt in the back as well as the abdomen. These cramps often become less uncomfortable and sometimes even disappear completely as a girl gets older.

Many girls and women find that over-the-counter pain medications (like acetaminophen or ibuprofen) can relieve cramps, as can taking a warm bath or applying a warm heating pad to the lower abdomen. Exercising regularly throughout the monthly cycle may help lessen cramps, too. If these things don't help, ask your doctor for advice.

Some girls and women find that they feel sad or easily irritated during the few days or week before their periods. Others may get angry more quickly than normal or cry more than usual. Some girls crave certain foods. These types of emotional changes may be the result of .

PMS is related to changes in the body's hormones. As hormone levels rise and fall during a woman's menstrual cycle, they can affect the way she feels, both emotionally and physically. Some girls, in addition to feeling more intense emotions than they usually do, notice physical changes along with their periods — some feel bloated or puffy because of water retention, others notice swollen and sore breasts, and some get headaches.

PMS usually goes away soon after a period begins, but it can come back month after month. Eating right, getting enough sleep, and exercising may help relieve some of the symptoms of PMS. Talk to your doctor if you are concerned about your premenstrual symptoms.

It's also not uncommon for girls to have an acne flare-up during certain times of their cycle; again, this is due to hormones. Fortunately, the pimples associated with periods tend to become less of a problem as girls get older.

Pads, Tampons, and Liners

Once you begin menstruating, you'll need to use something to absorb the blood. Most girls use a pad or a tampon. But some use menstrual cups, which a girl inserts into her vagina to catch and hold the blood (instead of absorbing it, like a tampon).

There are so many products out there that it may take some experimenting before you find the one that works best for you. Some girls use only pads (particularly when they first start menstruating), some use only tampons, and some switch around — tampons during the day and pads at night, for example.

Girls who worry about leakage from a tampon often use a pantiliner, too, and some girls use liners alone on very light days of their periods.

Periods shouldn't get in the way of exercising, having fun, and enjoying life. Girls who are very active, particularly those who enjoy swimming, often find that tampons are the best option during sports.

If you have questions about pads, tampons, or coping with periods, ask a parent, health teacher, school nurse, or older sister.